Ascend to a Turnabout
by Asa Turney
Summary: "Nearly everyone who will set foot in this courtroom today has something in common..." ...A half-serious post-AJ scenario uniting characters from all sagas. Continuity callbacks, humor, theories of future relationships, and lots of friendship fluff.
1. Chapter 1

.

_Thanks for your participation. I know you're all busy people these days, so we'll get right to it._

_This is only a test case, so there's no need to give too much focus to the content itself, but..._

_As you watch, just for fun, here's a little nugget of wisdom to keep close in mind:_

_'The first step is the most important.'_

_**. . . . . . . . . .**_

"Mr. Wright...? You can't be serious!"

Phoenix granted the young lawyer no further reply than his typical ambiguous smile, only making it more difficult to tell whether he was serious.

"You really want _me,_" Apollo shouted in disbelief, ''to take over _your_ first case in nearly eight years!?"

"I thought I'd dropped plenty of hints," said Phoenix coolly. "For one, you didn't expect me to defend a client dressed like this, did you?"

Apollo scanned his mentor up and down. It was true; this unshaven man in the baggy sweatshirt certainly didn't _look_ like a great lawyer who had just passed the bar exam for the second time in his life. But Apollo had grown so accustomed to seeing him dress this way that he hadn't given it a second thought.

"Come on, Polly, it should've been obvious," Trucy chimed in. Tapping her top hat with her knuckles, she teased, "Use your head! You've gotta be sharper than that!"

_(What's she trying to say? My head isn't sharp enough...?)_ Apollo ran his fingers through his spiky bangs, which failed to spring back up with quite their usual resilience. Pulling himself together in his attempt to protest, Apollo turned toward Phoenix and asserted, "Mr. Wright, this is impossible. I know next to nothing about this case!"

"Now, that doesn't sound like you. What was it that one reporter said when they covered your last case on TV?"

In her best reporter's voice, Trucy quoted, "_'Nothing is impossible for the undefeated rookie with a passionate heart burning red!'_"

"S-still!" Mildly flustered, the undefeated rookie took a more direct approach to his argument. "From what I _do_ know about the case, and about the people involved...I know the scene couldn't be any more perfectly set for Phoenix Wright's big comeback! I mean, wouldn't it be great if–"

"No." The interruption was terse and resolute. "This...is how it should be."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't my case. It never was. Retaking the bar was just something I had to do for myself. I thought it was clear by now...that it's not my time anymore." He rested a hand on Apollo's shoulder. "It's yours."

"...Mr. Wright..."

As the older man withdrew his hand, Trucy fixed her eyes on the younger, who appeared to have shaken off his nerves. "So? How are you feeling, Polly?"

Phoenix suddenly felt grateful that the corners of his beanie had been tugged down to shield his ears as, with a signature metallic resonance to his voice, Apollo loudly announced, "_**I'm fine!**_"

"Perfect!" said Trucy cheerily, patting him on the back. "Then load up the court record and get going, Mister! You've got a job to do!"

Giving her a vigorous nod in response, Apollo swiveled to face the door behind him and gripped its golden handle. However, he was caught off guard when the other two made no move to follow him. "Hey, aren't you coming?"

Father and daughter briefly exchanged glances.

"...Nah," Phoenix answered impassively. "I'll sit this one out."

"Huh!? But why?"

"Ha ha. Well, it's not like I really need to see it. This is the kind of fight I've already fought plenty of times before."

_('Already fought'? He can't really mean he's had enough of courtroom battles forever, can he?)_ Apollo looked toward the younger girl. "...You too, Trucy?"

"Yeah. Daddy and I have some other stuff to do!"

"But..." Apollo felt his nerves beginning to stir again. He couldn't remember ever going into a single trial without some sort of aide.

"What? You're not scared now, are you, Polly?"

"Well, no... I guess I'll be..." Apollo took a deep breath. "_**I'll be**_–"

"Yeah, _'fine_,' we get it!" Trucy cut him off with a laugh. "Just go get that acquittal already!"

"...Right." He turned and fumbled to grasp the door handle for a second time.

"Apollo, just relax," Phoenix advised him, "and put your best foot forward."

_(Easy for you to say. You get to plant your feet right here in the nice safe lobby, but who knows what I'm about to step into?)_

"It's only harder to win when you start out so worked up. After all...the first step is the most important."

The serious look on the man's face as he locked eyes with his protégé suggested that his words were full of meaning, but not any that Apollo could interpret.

"Uh... Right. Thanks." With that, the attorney disappeared beyond the courtroom doors.

As soon as the last bit of the bright red suit was completely out of sight, Trucy's face fell into a pout.

"Aww, I can't believe we don't even get to watch."

"Patience, Trucy."

"Yeah, I know..."

The pair stood quietly for some time, listening to the low hum of other voices in the lobby.

"Daddy..."

"Hmm?"

"Do you really think he'll be all right in there alone?"

Phoenix smiled. There was a more unmistakably genuine sentiment behind the smiles he reserved for his daughter. "Did you remember to sneak him that special piece of evidence?"

"Sure did!" she proudly replied.

"Then from here on out, it's all about trust. Just think: How long has Apollo been with us?"

"Well... It's been about a year, I guess. That's a pretty long time," she answered. "By now, we're almost like family!"

"Ha ha ha. Yeah, almost." Phoenix took a moment to clear his throat.

"...Hm?"

"Nothing. Nothing in particular. I just meant that, after all the wonderful ways we've rubbed off on him, I think we can trust him to be just as 'fine' as he said he was...as long as he remembers..."

Phoenix's speech trailed off as he made eye contact with a certain individual standing on the other side of the room.

"Ah... Hey, Trucy..." he began again, digging one hand into his pants pocket to search for spare change.

"Oh! Is that for the vending machine down the hall? Want me to get you something?"

"Nah, I'm good. Why don't you use this..." – he extended a palm full of coins and sealed his offer with a wink – "...to get whatever you want?"

Trucy glanced down at the money, then over at the door, and then back at her father with a grin.

"When the time is right, of course," he quickly added.

"Thanks, Daddy!" She dashed off.

Once his daughter had left, Phoenix made his way over to the familiar figure across the room.

"...Edgeworth."

Case files tucked under a scarlet sleeve, the prosecutor nodded curtly in greeting. "Wright."

The two men stood in apparent contrast – one in a dapper suit, one in faded sweats – yet the image of them together was somehow quite natural.

"I admit," said Edgeworth, "I'm disappointed to hear that you won't be joining us in court today."

"You and I finally going at it again after eight years... I guess it would have been fun."

"Fun...? I'm not sure I'd use quite that word." Edgeworth shifted the uncomfortable weight of the files under his arm. "This is, to say the least, a very sensitive case for me. I would be much obliged to face a skilled attorney who may be able prove my unfortunate suspicions wrong."

Phoenix let out a chuckle. "You flatter me, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Yes, well... Nevertheless, I am here to do my job...and the prosecution does not intend to lose this case."

"Neither does the defense," Phoenix assured him. "This should be an interesting fight. It's a shame I won't be sticking around to see it."

"A shame, indeed," the prosecutor swiftly retorted. "Bearing through the entire process to reinstate yourself as a lawyer, and then handing off your first case to your protégé... I don't know what you're up to, Wright, but I hope you know what you're doing."

"It's simple. I have faith in my protégé, and I have faith in our Jurist System. I'm confident that the truth will come out in the end."

"I see..." said Edgeworth, peering at his companion over the thick rims of glasses. "Why do I get the feeling that the 'truth' to which you're referring...is something more than the truth about this murder?"

"...Heh." Phoenix lowered his head slightly to obscure his amused expression. "Maybe because you know me pretty well by now." He made a move toward the hallway door. "Good luck in court."

"Likewise, Wright," the other man called back at him. "Good luck with whatever plan you've cooked up in that thick head of yours."

Phoenix stopped in his tracks. "Edgeworth." He turned again to face the prosecutor. "Here's a hint. Nearly everyone who will step into that courtroom today has something in common. By the end, I hope that all those who have been misguided can have their mindsets turned about."

_**. . . . . . . . . .**_

Phoenix Wright's old rival stood at the opposite side of the courtroom. Several of Phoenix Wright's old friends waited ready to take the witness stand. Phoenix Wright was the one who belonged there at the defense bench. Apollo Justice couldn't help but feel out of place.

After quickly scanning the gallery in vain for the faces of his mentor and his assistant, he decided instead to use these last few minutes before the trial to review the case data.

_(Huh... Is it just me, or is this court record a little too...heavy?)_

Apollo took a peek inside. What he discovered was an unusual piece of evidence that he couldn't make out as being relevant to the case by any stretch of the imagination.

_(...Eh? Why would Mr. Wright give me this, of all things? ...This isn't some sort of _joke,_ is it...?)_

Apollo was snapped out of his thoughts by the familiar sound of a gavel against the sound block.

"Ahem. The jury is assembled, and all parties are present. It's time to begin the proceedings."

The flat murmur of voices throughout the courtroom subsided, and all eyes came to rest on the Judge who had just mounted his chair.

"Court is now in session," he declared, "for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday."


	2. Chapter 2

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**March 31, 2027 1:28 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

* * *

><p>"The prosecution is as ready as ever, Your Honor."<p>

"The defense is...ready as well, Your Honor."

"Very well." The Judge set down his gavel, and began fiddling with a small electronic device lodged in his right ear. "So that everyone is aware, I'm keeping in contact with the jury through this, er, _hear-piece_. They will be able to tell me when they are ready to deliberate. Apparently, they will also be able to 'hear everything I hear'... I would hate for my own hardness of hearing to affect the jurors' understanding of the case, so for their sake I ask that you make sure to speak loudly."

Apollo opened his mouth to correct the Judge's misunderstanding(s), but ultimately decided against it, especially because speaking loudly was something he could surely manage.

"Will the prosecution now give its opening statement?" the Judge requested.

"Yes, Your Honor." Prosecutor Edgeworth stood confidently with his hands folded neatly behind his back.

_(So, this man in red is my opponent today... Red versus red. Is this what they call fighting fire with fire?)_ Apollo prepared himself to listen to the formidable prosecutor whom he had heard so much about but who he was just meeting in person for the first time.

"Two days ago, a theater downtown became the stage for a truly unfortunate occurrence...a killing that took place in complete darkness," Edgeworth began. "It is my hope that this shroud of darkness may be lifted and that the facts of this case will become clear soon enough. However, I would first like to make it clear to the jury and to whomever else it may concern...that the prosecution is fighting only for the minimum sentence available for criminally negligent manslaughter. This alleged 'murder' was neither deliberate nor premeditated. Regardless, one person has died as a result of another person's actions...and that person must learn one way or another that reckless actions have consequences."

Despite their similar color schemes, it was clear that the two lawyers in this case were worlds apart. The prosecutor was indeed as well-composed as everyone said. Nevertheless, his demeanor, for now, lacked the outright smugness that Apollo had perhaps expected out of such a high-class opponent, as he turned to face the attorney and civilly asked, "Any questions so far, Mr. Justice?"

"Um, no, sir..." It had never crossed his mind to call Prosecutor Gavin '_sir_,' so Apollo wondered to himself why he had felt to need to address this new prosecutor in such a way.

_(What am I doing? I feel like just as much of a rookie as in my first trial. ...Mr. Wright told me to put my best foot forward, and I'd better do just that if I'm going to be filling his shoes. If I have any chance of winning this case, I have to be more confident.)_

"Ahem... I mean... No! No, I definitely do not have any questions!" He pounded the desk with hearty conviction.

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow at this strange reaction. "...Right. Then, the prosecution would like to call its first witness to the stand: one of the detectives who conducted the initial investigations."

**. . . . . . . . . .**

"Please state your name and occupation."

"..."

"_Name and occupation,_" the prosecutor repeated. "That would be your cue, Detective."

"...Oh!" The man in the tan coat on the witness stand suddenly came to his senses, although his face was long and his tone was less than energetic. "It's Dick Gumshoe, sir... Homicide detective down at the local precinct."

"I've been listening to you give that same introduction to the court for fifteen long years now," said Edgeworth. "It shouldn't take you so long to think about what to say."

"But... But Mr. Edgeworth, sir, you know how it is..." Gumshoe looked at the prosecutor with puppy-dog eyes. "I don't want to say anything that gets her in trouble..."

"Detective, try to be professional about this. Please withhold your opinions. Give us only the facts."

"Yeah... All right, pal..."

"The exact time and location of the incident would be a good place to start," Edgeworth instructed.

"Right, sir." Gumshoe heaved a deep sigh in preparation for his testimony. "Well, the mur... No, I mean, the death... It happened back on March 29th, at the Eighth Street Theater. A bunch of folks were there for the premiere of a new play that night, see, which was supposed to start at 8:30 PM and run for a little over an hour."

"_'Supposed to'_? Does that mean it didn't start on time?" Apollo asked for clarification.

"It started on time, pal, but it didn't end on time," Gumshoe continued. "At exactly 9:27, there was a sudden blackout over the whole block, so everything in the theater went pitch-dark. The management told everybody in the audience to stay put until they could tap into the emergency power box. But, before they could do that...there was some sort of big crash onstage."

"**Hold it!**" The attorney pounded his desk. "A...crash?"

"A crash, pal. You know, like, _'CRRASSHH–!'_" Gumshoe explained, offering his best vocal rendition of the noise. "Real loud, probably even louder than that loud desk pound you just did."

Apollo glanced down at his balled fists, and shot the detective a sheepish smile before quickly hiding his hands behind his back.

"...Or so I heard in all the witness reports. I wasn't there to hear the crash, but I do know it sure must've been pretty loud, considering the big mess of stuff we found scattered on the floor there. A ton of props, a ladder, and two mic stands, to be particular about it."

Notes on each of these objects were promptly entered into the court record and into the attorney's mind for future consideration.

Apollo observed Gumshoe's manner growing increasingly less comfortable as he neared a part of the testimony he apparently would have preferred not to give.

"Anyway," he went on, "the emergency power never got turned on, but at 9:36, which was pretty much right after the crash, the normal electricity came back. And on the stage in front of everybody, in the middle of all the mess, there was...one dead body...along with..." The detective's voice became muffled as he hunched his shoulders and lowered his head toward the floor. "...one live body that didn't belong there, pal."

"That would be...the defendant?" Apollo pressed for confirmation.

Gumshoe merely nodded in response, so as to avoid identifying her by name, and then attempted to change the subject. "Well, pal, did I miss anything else important?" he said anxiously.

Apollo knew there were plenty of matters that warranted further pressing, but, first, there was one issue that particularly sparked his curiosity.

"So... What exactly was the show being performed there?"

"Oh boy..." The detective winced. "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't ask, pal."

"Uh... Why not?" Apollo hadn't thought his question to be too daunting.

"It's got a confusing title. I can't really remember the whole thing." He scratched his head. "I think it was something about _'Tokyo'_..." – Gumshoe looked straight into the attorney's eyes – "...and _'Justice'_."

Apollo flinched. _(What? Don't bring me into it!)_

"I can answer on behalf of the detective," said Edgeworth, not even glancing at the papers on his desk. "It was _The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo versus The World Samurai: Champion of the Earth: The Epic Battle for Great Justice_."

"Yeah, pal," added Gumshoe with a chuckle. "That's the one."

"Wh..." Apollo blurted out, "Are you kidding?"

"Is there a problem?" asked Edgeworth coolly.

"Well, no, it's just... Does that even fit on the flyers? They couldn't come up with anything a little more, I don't know, _concise_? Even for a kid's show, it sounds kind of dumb to me."

It was clear from Edgeworth's abrupt, severe change of expression that a particular first impression of his young opponent had been made. "For your information, Mr. Justice, this stage show was named after a film that was released four years ago as part of the same popular franchise: _The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo versus The World Samurai: Champion of the Earth_. The film, which was the Steel Samurai's theatrical debut, is the source from which the plot of the stage show was adapted. The show's additional subtitle, a suitable summation of its premise, was merely necessary for ease of distinction between the show and the film."

Apollo wasn't quite sure how to respond to this report. "...Um..."

"...However, I believe it would be preferable to our fine jurors and to all involved parties in this case if the defense could refrain from asking inane questions that force us to delve into irrelevant details," Edgeworth stated matter-of-factly. "Wouldn't you agree, Your Honor?"

The Judge was as confused as Apollo, but tried to handle the situation as appropriately as possible. "Erm. Yes. Prosecutor Edgeworth is correct. Let's keep focused here, Mr. Justice, or I'll be forced to penalize you."

"Me!?" cried Apollo. _(He was the one who shot off on a lecture about it!)_

"You know," Gumshoe spoke up in a burst of excitement, "there just might be somethin' relevant about the name of the play after all, pal! Now that I think about it, the sorts of people who showed up there were sort of suspicious!"

"Really? Can you elaborate on that, Detective?" _(Is he trying to set someone else up as the culprit? Wouldn't that help the defense? Not that I'm complaining...)_

"I remember spotting a whole bunch of grown men and older folks without any kids at the scene. Maybe they had ulterior motives, pal! 'Cause otherwise, what good reason would they have to be watching a kiddie show like..."

A sudden rap on the prosecutor's desk cut the testimony short. "That's enough, Detective."

"Huh? B-but the cross-examination isn't over yet, pal! What about–"

"That's enough, Detective," Edgeworth repeated. "I warned you to withhold your opinions."

Gumshoe had no understanding of the mistake he had made, but he squeezed his eyes shut for fear that his boss's face would have _'paycut'_ written all over it.

"...The forensic specialist will be able to take over from here," said Edgeworth in a surprisingly softer tone than expected. "You are dismissed."

"Urk... S-sorry, sir..."

Though Gumshoe returned to his seat with his head hung in shame at having disappointed his boss, gratitude soon set in for being relieved of the pressure of testifying about this sensitive event.


	3. Chapter 3

...Meanwhile, Apollo was feeling a sense of gratitude as well.

_(Well, at least there's _one _familiar face for me in today's case.)_

"The prosecution calls Ema Skye to the stand."

The woman in the white coat mounted the witness stand with a bag of snacks in hand, as always.

"We have yet to discuss the victim's identity and cause of death," prompted Edgeworth. "Please tell us when you arrived on the scene and what you learned."

"Ah, Mr. Edgeworth," she said with an unusually agreeable smile, "don't you need to ask for my name and occupation first?"

"Very well. Name and occupation, please."

Ema stood up perfectly straight and delivered her response with a level of enthusiasm that reflected how long she had been anticipating this moment. "Ema Skye, forensic investigator with the local precinct!" Her posture loosened as she sighed dreamily. "Boy, that has a nice ring to it."

_(...Wow.)_ This being her first case in her new position, Apollo was unaccustomed to this significant improvement in the detective's attitude. _(Maybe this face isn't very familiar after all.)_

"Well, first of all," Ema began, "I happened to already be there at the theater when the incident occurred."

"Really, Miss Skye?" said Apollo, amused. "I didn't know you were into things like that."

"...Hmph." A hint of that scowl Apollo knew so well played on her face. "I'm not, really... Not anymore, anyway," Ema continued. "I was dragged there by some younger friends of mine."

The lawyer smirked. _(Likely story.)_

"I don't know what you're grinning about over there, but I really _wasn't_ too keen on going. I mean, the doormen even had the nerve to tell me I couldn't bring in outside food. It's not like the concession stand was even selling this brand of Snackoos there, you know."

"Miss Skye," Edgeworth broke in.

"Right, of course, the incident!" Ema brought herself back on track. "Well, the name of the deceased is one Dr. Dale Hickfield."

"**Hold it!**" Apollo wasn't sure what inclined him to interrupt, but something about the name caught his attention. _(...'Hickfield'? And...a doctor... Could that be...?)_

"Wh-what is it?" Ema said, taking advantage of this pause in the testimony to dip her hand into her snacks. "Come on, I haven't even gotten to the science yet!"

"I have a document with further information about the victim's background, to be submitted into evidence," Edgeworth stated, taking a single paper out of a thick file on the desk before him. "The victim was formerly the director of the local Hickfield Clinic. The clinic was shut down earlier this year after extensive complaints of unprofessional staff conduct. As a result, Dr. Hickfield was forced to pursue another career."

_(And... Not to speak ill of the dead or anything, but...he chose to work at a _children's _stage show?)_ Apollo desperately tried not to think too hard about it. _(An unusual choice, to say the least... A worrisome choice, to say a bit more...)_

"This is a copy of Dr. Hickfield's photo ID," Edgeworth offered.

Apollo studied the photograph...and was surprised to behold a full set of white teeth and a full head of dark hair, a very typical forty-three-year-old man.

"Oh! I get it," Apollo expressed, unintentionally aloud. "The _real_ Dr. Hickfield."

"...I beg your pardon?"

"Uh, nothing. Sorry," Apollo scratched his head with embarrassment at not understanding sooner. "That was all I needed to know."

"It's all that I feel the jury needs to know, as well," the prosecutor emphasized. "After all, there is no motive for murder to be established. We all agree that there was no significant, preexisting relation between the defendant and the victim."

"..." Ema was looking at Edgeworth with anxious eyes.

Edgeworth nodded in her direction. "Please, return to your scientific analysis, Miss Skye."

"You've got it, Mr. Edgeworth!" Ema's smile returned as she reached to tweak the glasses perched atop her head. "As Detective Gumshoe said, the apparent struggle and the 'crash' onstage happened right before the electricity returned. Time of death was determined to be 9:35, the same minute as the crash, which means that death must have been instantaneous."

"And the cause of death?" Apollo asked.

"I'm getting to that!" Ema snapped, before returning to the pleasant, professional voice she used for her expert testimony. "Through my analysis of the corpse, his cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head. Presumably, the 'weapon' that fatally struck him was one of the many objects onstage that fell during the crash."

"Which one?"

"..."

With a single Snackoo between her fingers poised for launch, Ema shot Apollo a glare that dared him to interrupt again. He took the hint and resolved himself to let her continue.

"All of the objects surrounding the body – including the stage props, the toppled ladder, and every inch of everything else – were dusted for fingerprints," Ema explained, "...but absolutely none save the victims' own fingerprints were found fresh on any of them."

"Exactly!" Apollo, forgetting his resolve, burst out involuntary. "So why would any of this incriminate my client, of all people?"

"You know," Ema countered, "sometimes, the lack of something at a crime scene is just as scientifically significant as its presence."

"...What are you saying?"

"Well, have you seen Kay's..." Ema suddenly trailed off, and only picked up again with a hint of regret in her voice. "...I mean, have you seen...your client's hands?"

Had Apollo been able at that moment to literally look at his client's hands, he would have failed to grasp her point. However, he instead glanced down at the court record, where a pair of flat brown cloth objects sat sealed in an evidence bag.

_(Gloves...)_

Ema's enthusiasm about the evidence appeared to falter now that the reality of the case had set in. "And...there's something else about those gloves, too. They might not have even mattered under the circumstances described so far. Since the 'weapon' was likely knocked over by accident, she probably wouldn't have touched it with her hands anyway.

"But, well... The blood that should have logically been present on whichever heavy object took the victim's life...was apparently wiped. As it turns out... a smear of the victim's blood was detected on the defendant's right glove."

A murmur of disapproval made its way through the gallery.

_(But that doesn't...)_ Apollo pressed his forefinger to his forehead in deep thought. _(There's gotta be another explanation. There's always another explanation!)_

This reflective moment was suddenly interrupted by a shrill polyphonic melody.

Ema tensed up and quickly dug her free hand into her coat pocket to retrieve her cell phone, as the people in the gallery stirred louder, many checking their own cell phones in attempts to locate the source of the noise.

_"What's that racket!?"_ one raspy voice rang out from the back row.

_"For an old lady, you sure are dumb! That's the original Steel Samurai theme, obviously!"_ a teenager's voice replied, before proceeding to hum along with the tune.

Apollo grinned. _(Is it, now?)_ "A-ha! I have an **objection!**"

"Mr. Justice...?" the Judge acknowledged him, still struggling to determine whether the ringing sound he was hearing was in his own ears. "On what grounds do you object?"

"Clearly, Miss Skye's earlier testimony was not entirely accurate. Specifically, her claim about not being a fan of the Steel Samurai. Since it seems that she likes it after all, I say we have that stricken from the record before she gets in trouble for perjury."

"Ugh... I... Oh, just..." Ema stuffed several Snackoos into her mouth to excuse herself from speaking, and then buried her nose in her phone in a frantic search for the button to silence the music.

"Well... Perhaps she misspoke. People do often misspeak, as did Mr. Justice with his unnecessary objection," said Edgeworth cynically. "Isn't that so, Your Honor?"

"Very true," the Judge agreed. "Mr. Justice, if I recall correctly, you've made claims about not being a fan of penalties – but maybe you'll like this one after all."

_(Ouch...) _As the gavel swung down with a bang, Apollo looked over at the woman on the stand, her reddened cheeks still full of Snackoos. _(...But I think it was worth it.)_

Ema finally answered her phone with a "***MUNCH* *MUNCH* *MUNCH***... ...Hello?"

The entire courtroom quieted down to listen intently to at least one end of the conversation.

Swallowing her snacks with a loud gulp, Ema uttered into the phone, "_What?_ Are you sure?"

Intrigued, Apollo leaned as far forward over his desk as he could, but was still unable to make out the voice on the other end.

"There's no way we could have overlooked something like that!" Ema insisted to the mystery caller. "...Well, I guess... ...Uh-huh... Okay. I'll be there to check it out right away." She slowly moved the phone away from her ear.

"From whom was that call just now, Miss Skye?" Edgeworth inquired with concern.

"Uh..." The woman hastily lifted the phone back into place and demanded, "Wait a minute! Who is this, anyway? ... ...Huh? But–"

A click signified the conclusion of the peculiar exchange.

"That was...an anonymous tip," Ema stated, still staring down at the phone in her hand. "It doesn't matter who it was – only that, apparently, my scientific investigation is incomplete." Her eyes shone with determination as they rose to meet the prosecutor's. "Please, let me go back to the scene and continue my testimony after a recess. I promise I'll be able to present the whole truth about this case then."

Edgeworth saw her resolve to finish the job she'd waited so long to do, and turned to address the Judge. "Your Honor, I believe Miss Skye's suggestion is indeed the best course of action. I'd like to request a recess of indefinite length to allow the investigation to be completed."

"That's fine with me," the Judge agreed, one finger holding his earpiece in place. "The jurors are saying they'd appreciate the late meal break – and, come to think of it, so would I..."

Before he could vacate his chair and rush to lunch without another thought, the prosecutor hastily reminded him, "Your Honor? The official release?"

"Oh, of course." He picked up his gavel. "This court is temporarily adjourned."

**_Bang._**

**. . . . . . . . . .**

On the other side of the courtroom doors, a man stuffed his cell phone into his sweatshirt pocket and silently exited the lobby, leaving it empty.


	4. Chapter 4

.

**March 31, 2027 3:14 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

* * *

><p><em>(...Mr. Wright and Trucy were nowhere to be found during that recess. I thought Mr. Wright especially would want to hear about how my case is going. And getting a little encouragement from him wouldn't've hurt, either...)<em>

Apollo drummed his fingers upon the one piece of unexplained evidence that comprised the bulk of his court record.

_(What is it about this case that's making him so secretive? It's like he's testing me about something. I just wish I knew what it was.)_

The attorney lifted his head just in time to see his opponent resume his post at the prosecutor's desk and set down his case files.

"Your Honor," Edgeworth announced, "Miss Skye is still away at the scene. However, I feel that if this trial has any chance of concluding today, we should continue with other testimonies until she returns."

"Hmm..." The Judge listened carefully through his earpiece. "The jury appears to approve of that plan, as one of them just expressed his enthusiasm to _'see another cute chick testify.'_"

"...!?"

Apollo, stifling his own expression of disgust, noticed the prosecutor rub his temple in frustration and murmur to himself, "Don't tell me... Something smells around here..."

" ...What?" the Judge countered in response to the audible squabble of protest at the other end of the communication. "You said it out loud, so it's my job to report it!"

_(What sort of sick skirt-chaser is going to be deciding this verdict? ...On second thought, maybe it's good for me if he won't have the heart to convict a young woman...)_

"Ahem. At any rate," the Judge instructed, searching for the volume setting on his hearing device, "the prosecution may proceed to call its next witness."

Edgeworth motioned toward an adolescent girl in purple robes, who rose from her seat and cautiously approached the witness stand.

"Name and occupation, please," the prosecutor routinely recited.

"My name is Pearl Fey," she uttered nervously. "My occupation... I guess, umm, I'm a spirit medium. ...Although, in a few months, I'll be a student of pre-law at Ivy University."

_(Kind of a quiet voice for a future lawyer. Maybe I'll lend her a few of my vocal training tapes sometime.)_

_"_All right," said Apollo. "Tell us what you saw."

"Well, I attended the Steel Samurai stage show with two friends...one of them being the defendant, Kay." Pearl's eyes briefly darted around the room in search of the defendant, but she was not present, which appeared to be a source of mild relief for the witness. "Even though the others didn't seem too excited about it at first, we all ended up enjoying the show a lot. But then, right as the _Steel Samurai_ was rushing in for the finishing strike against the _World Samurai_...the lights blacked out and they had to stop the performance."

"I see," Apollo commented. "So you can't testify from sight after that point, but can you tell us what you observed with your other senses?"

Pearl nodded shyly. She had been present in this very courtroom countless times before, but had never been the center of its attention. "Well, I heard the theater manager step onto the stage to say something over the _meck-oh-fone_. She announced that there had been a power outage, and that, for safety's sake, we should all keep still where we were."

"**Hold it!**"

Curiously, this shout came from the prosecution's end of the courtroom rather than from the defense's.

"Miss Fey," said Edgeworth slowly, pushing his glasses up by the bridge. "I have a minor question concerning your testimony just now."

"Did I...say something strange just now?" asked the girl worriedly.

"Did you say that the manager was using a _microphone_?"

"No..." Pearl gave the prosecutor an innocent, puzzled look. "Not a _mike-row-fone_..."

"I didn't think so," Edgeworth said. "I was under the impression that the theater was not equipped with any cordless microphones, only wired ones, and thus it would not have been possible for one to have been used during an electrical outage."

"That's right... That's why I assumed that the thing was a _meck-oh-fone_. I know she had one because I saw it backstage before the show." Pearl made gestures in the air outlining the shape of the object: one wide end, and one narrow end. "You know... Like this...?"

"Miss Fey, are you meaning to say _'megaphone'_?"

"O-oh! Yes, of course, that's what I mean, Mr. Edgeworth."

"I see." The prosecutor appeared satisfied. "The record will reflect this correction."

"I'm sorry about that! You see, I've never been very good with words..."

"I would advise you to be careful, Miss Fey," Edgeworth warned. "Especially if you're aspiring to a job in the courtroom. Words are very powerful things in a court of law. Use them carefully."

Apollo experienced a strange involuntary reaction to that statement, as indicated by an eerie sound effect, but he quickly brushed it off.

"I...I understand..." Pearl said, chewing her thumbnail in embarrassment. "Please don't worry. I'll try my best."

_(It was pretty good advice...but it probably made her even more nervous than before.) _Suddenly, Apollo realized that there was another detail worth pressing in her testimony, and, at the risk of further aggravating the witness's nervousness, shouted out his own "**Hold it!**"

"Again!?" Pearl's hand jumped to her mouth to cover a gasp. "I didn't say anything else wrong, did I?"

"No, no, it's not that," Apollo assured her. "I just couldn't help but notice that...you said you saw the megaphone backstage before the show."

"Ah... I guess I forgot to explain that part. I did take a quick peek backstage before my friends and I took our seats."

"Was the defendant back there with you at that time?"

Pearl shook her head. "No, I went by myself."

"Oh. What for?"

"Well, you see... I was hoping I could maybe run into the lead actor...and get his autograph..."

_(Man... I can't believe how many dedicated fans this weird show has...)_

"...but not for myself," Pearl continued, smiling fondly. "It was for my cousin, who couldn't make it to the show. She's a huge fan, but she's so busy back at our village these days that I don't think she even heard about this premiere. I thought it would be nice to at least get a souvenir for her."

The girl looked so sweet and earnest that Apollo couldn't help wanting to know, "So, did you get the autograph?"

Pearl's smile flipped abruptly into a frown, and the attorney immediately regretted his question. "No... Actually, I failed. The same manager who made the announcement later... She caught me and told me I needed to go back to my seat before the show started... and so..."

Edgeworth cut her off as she reached the verge of tears. "Miss Fey, what you may have acquired backstage is something more important than an autograph: valuable knowledge about the crime scene as it appeared before the incident. The objects later onstage, one of them being the eventual 'murder weapon,' were presumably being stored backstage before the show. Could you describe the setup backstage for us?"

"...Yeah, I was going to ask about that, too," Apollo added feebly. _(That's why I pressed her, you know. What's with this guy and sounding so much smarter than me while we're following the same lead?)_

Pearl sniffed and nodded resolutely. "Sure, I'll try to remember what I can. Let's see... The first thing I noticed was the big rack of props, with a Samurai Spear, and a Samurai Sword. There were also some Samurai Pins. And a Samurai Staff. And a Samurai Fan..."

"Uh, I think I get it," Apollo cut in. "There was a lot of Samurai stuff. But since those things are only props, they're probably not dangerous enough to be murder weapons, correct?"

"That would be correct," the prosecutor confirmed. "The sorts of props used in Steel Samurai productions have been known to break fairly easily, although it isn't out of the question that the methods and materials used have changed over time."

"Right, but–"

"In any case, most of the props mentioned by the witness are designed for piercing, while the cause of death was blunt force rather than sharp force. The others would only pack a heavy blow if powered by the momentum of a fighter – and since the deadly object is presumed to have fallen by accident, we can probably rule these out as effective weapons in this incident."

_(That's what I was saying! ...But it sounds better when he says it. How unfair.)_ Apollo sighed. "Well, then, Miss Fey, was there anything bigger and heavier there?"

"I do remember seeing a couple of really tall stands for wired _mike-row-fones_," Pearl clearly enunciated.

"That lines up with the detective's testimony. He said he saw various props and two mic stands toppled over at the crime scene," noted Apollo. "He also said..."

"Yes, like he said, there was... I saw it propped up against the wall... A..." Pearl appeared to be deep in thought before she ultimately announced, "...a ladder. Yes, that was it."

"It sounds like either of those things could have been the culprit," Apollo reasoned.

"Wrong, Mr. Justice," said Edgeworth with a sober expression. "_'Things'_ are not culprits. People are."

"A very astute observation, Mr. Edgeworth," the Judge commented. "After all, if 'things' could kill people, I think this hear-piece would've done me in by now, because it doesn't seem to like me very much. I can hardly hear the jurors with all this signal interference! Now just _who_ would be trying to interfere...?"

Setting aside His Honor's dilemma, the prosecutor continued, "Hopefully, Miss Skye will be able to identify the weapon when she returns. What we must focus on now is proving or disproving the identity of the person behind it."

"Well, I don't think Miss Fey knows about anything that happened after the lights went out," said Apollo. "Nobody really does..."

Edgeworth shrugged and shook his head. "There is one person who should."

_(...Ah. He's right.)_

The Judge had given up on his earpiece and turned his attention to the documents in front of him. "The prosecution has listed no further witnesses," he declared. "Does the defense have any witnesses to call?"

"Yes," Apollo replied. "The defense would like to allow the defendant, Kay Faraday, to give her own account of the night's events."


	5. Chapter 5

.

**March 31, 2027 3:52 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

* * *

><p>The defendant was escorted into the courtroom by a bailiff through the side entrance. The eyes of everyone in the audience closely followed the young woman with the key in her hair as she approached the witness stand with an air of assurance unusual for someone in her position.<p>

Once she reached the stand, Apollo asked, "Miss Defendant, can you give us your name and occupation?" The attorney felt awkward uttering a line usually reserved for the prosecution. He glimpsed up at Edgeworth, who for some reason appeared vaguely relieved not to have had to deliver the line this time.

"Heh. Sure thing, Mr. Attorney," the defendant dutifully replied. "My name's Kay Faraday."

"And your occupation?"

"That'd be... the _Great Thief of Truth_!"

The entire gallery immediately erupted into a buzz of concern.

"Uh... Wait a second!" Hardly ten seconds into his client's testimony, Apollo already found himself grasping for an explanation. "By 'Thief,' she... I mean, I don't think that's...exactly what she meant to say..."

"Of course it's what I meant to say! It's my one true purpose in life."

"P-please, Miss Faraday... Is there any way you can rephrase that?"

"Well, as _part_ of that career goal, I've also been studying to be a prosecuting attorney," Kay offered, hesitantly glancing in the direction of the prosecutor's desk – but she then crossed her arms and haughtily whipped her head as far from Edgeworth as possible. "...But lately I've been thinking that me and prosecutors don't really get along."

Edgeworth put forth his best effort to act as if the woman's cold shoulder didn't faze him, uttering in a stern but quiet tone, "I'm sure you'd get along even less with one who would try you for murder in the first degree."

"...Hm..." Without turning her head, Kay rolled her eyes back toward Edgeworth's side of the courtroom with a forgiving look. "I guess _he_ was right," she said to no one in particular. "But just because you mean well doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

"Miss Faraday," Apollo addressed her, "this should be your chance to prove your own innocence. Are you ready?"

"Got it. I've never been readier!"

"Then, to start with... Can you tell us how you arrived at the crime scene in the first place?"

"Inside the theater, you mean? I waited in line, of course, until 8:15 when they started seating," Kay replied. "And then I went through the door with everybody else."

Apollo paused for a moment before responding, as if expecting something more from her answer. "...That's it?"

"Sure! How else would I get in?"

"Well..."

"What? You weren't thinking that I snuck in or anything, were you?" Kay put on the most indignant look she could muster, which was ultimately unconvincing. "Me, sneak into a theater? What kind of woman do you think I am?"

_(The kind who introduces herself as a thief to a room full of people who can throw her in jail?)_

"It's not like I was all that desperate to see this show, anyway. Samurais are okay, but I'm more of a 'ninja' girl."

_(I hope she's admitting to being a fan of fictional ninjas, and not to being sneaky and suspicious like a ninja herself...) _"So...why did you go at all?"

"I was convinced by one of the others. When one of us wants to do something, we all do it."

"_'We'_?" Apollo pressed.

"Yep. Me and my team. We do everything together."

Once more Apollo found himself forced to press a single, ambiguous word. "..._'Team'_?"

"Yeah, me and the other two girls I went to the show with."

Apollo shot her a confused look. "Are you all part of the same...sports team or something?"

Kay stifled a giggle. "That's a good guess. But what we do is no spectator sport!"

"Huh? Well then, what sort of team is it?"

"That, Mr. Attorney," Kay sing-songed, "...is~ a~ se~cret~."

"Er... Miss Faraday..." Apollo felt a cold sweat coming on. He hadn't anticipated his own client being such a hassle to draw a straight testimony out of. "You're kind of under oath... and I'm kind of _your lawyer_... so I think it would be best if you told me anything you..."

"If you please," Prosecutor Edgeworth interjected, "move on with your examination, Mr. Justice. I can personally assure you that the nature of Miss Faraday's 'team' is completely irrelevant to the case at hand."

After a moment of consideration as to whether he should trust the assurance of his opponent in court, Apollo decided that pressing this issue probably wasn't worth the effort. "All right then... Go on with your testimony."

"Right! So, me and my..._team_..." Kay broke into another brief fit of giggles before she was able to finish her sentence.

_(If you aren't going to let us in on the secret, would you stop bringing it up already!?)_

"...We took our seats in the front row – well, Pearly joined us a little later, after her trip backstage – and then we watched the show. It started out kind of boring, but it was finally getting good when the _World Samurai_ was rushing in for the finishing strike against the _Steel Samurai_..."

_(Huh? Was that how it went?)_

"...Too bad that's when all the lights suddenly went off! At first, we didn't even realize it was a problem."

"A power outage in the middle of a performance _does_ seem like a problem..."

"I dunno. We thought it was for dramatic effect or something."

_(Well, it sure caused some drama, all right.)_

"The manager lady got up on stage and told us all to stay put...but, really, who's going to listen to that? It's almost like a dare _not_ to stay put, don't you think?"

"Uh, no, I really don't think so..." _(This girl is supposed to be an adult! Why does she sound so much like a kid?)_ "...But does that mean you ignored her warning and wandered off?"

"I didn't just 'wander.' I knew where I was going. Onstage, to save the show!"

"How exactly did you plan to do that?"

"...All right," said Kay confidently, "_here's_ where the story begins."

It was time at last for some serious testimony, and the mysterious ambient music reserved for just those times.

"A pitch-black stage," she began dramatically, "and two actors frozen in their positions. I couldn't see the people themselves, but I could sort of make out their outlines, at least."

"**Hold it!**" Apollo quickly cut in. "Most of the others have said they were unable to see anything at all. Is there a reason that you were somehow in a position to see things a little bit more clearly?"

"Hmm. I _was_ in the front row, but the other girls were right there with me and they both said they couldn't see anything. I didn't even have the trusty flashlight I usually carry around with me; it was all up to my own well-trained eyes. I guess someone in my line of work is just used to working in the dark."

"..." Letting go of his curiosity for the sake of the case, Apollo decided that his wisest option was, "...No further questions on the matter. Go on."

"So then I heard the manager's shoes clicking carefully up the stairs at stage left," Kay resumed. "She raised her megaphone, and...

"_'We are experiencing technical difficulties!'_ she called out in that frail voice of hers. _'For safety's sake, please remain seated until the emergency power supply can be accessed! The World Samurai will proceed to pulverize the Steel Samurai once the theater lights return!'_ ...I mean, I may be paraphrasing a little, but it was basically like that.

"Then the people on stage started murmuring to themselves, and what I gathered from it, with my expert sense of hearing, was that nobody actually _knew_ where the emergency power source was except for Mr. Hickfield."

"**Hold it!**" Apollo interrupted again. "What exactly did you hear about him? Why would no one in the whole theater but the _doctor_ know about such an important thing?"

"Apparently, it was specifically _because_ he was a doctor, and the emergency power box was in the same place that the emergency medical kit was stashed. ...And what place was that, you may ask?" She thrust her finger in the air straight above her. "In one of the ceiling panels directly over the stage!"

"...Okay, Miss Faraday... Remember that you're not on a stage right now..." _(Thankfully, I'm really starting to doubt that someone who makes such a performance out of everything could be a thief as she claimed... But, considering some of the prosecutors I've seen, I have no problem imagining her in _that_ role.)_

"So, anyway, by the time a guy I assumed was the doctor finally stumbled onto the stage, about ten minutes had passed since the power outage. But, as he was shuffling around cluelessly trying to reach the power box, I realized that the way he was going about it was really dangerous.

"Like I said before, I work well in the dark, so I knew I could do it better. I was in the first row, separated from my duty by only a few yards' length and a few feet's height, so... ..."

Several seconds passed, which Apollo assumed was one of those _pauses for dramatic effect_ of which Kay was evidently so fond.

"...So?" he ultimately prompted.

"So I jumped right up there and..."

"..." The attorney could no longer take the suspense. _"...And?"_

"And, well..." Kay made a face and tilted her head strangely. "...See, here's where I'm gonna plead the Fifth."

"..."

"..."

_(I heard that wrong. Please tell me I heard that wrong.)_ "...Come again?"

"Yep. I plead the Fifth."

"R-right here and now? In the middle of your testimony? You're pleading the Fifth?"

"It's simple. Someone I've recently come to trust advised me not to testify past this point." She gave a casual shrug. "Sorry about that, Mr. Attorney!"

Apollo looked over at Prosecutor Edgeworth, assuming him to be this _'someone,'_ but was met with an expression just as perplexed as his own.

"Kay... What do you think you're doing!?"

"Miss Faraday..." _(You've gotta be kidding me... I've got a defendant who won't defend herself?)_

"Hey! I know what you're thinking over there!" Kay snapped. "_'A defendant who can't defend herself? How useless!'_"

_(Wow, she's good...)_

"I'm good, all right. You should know that everything I've said so far is the truth." Her face, for once, took on a look that was appropriate to the situation. "...It's unfortunate, what happened to the doctor. But it wasn't my doing. I didn't have a chance to touch a thing on that stage before his death. If you're really smart, you should be able to figure everything out from here."

"Right..." His cold sweat started up again. "Of course..."

"Lucky for you, though... You don't have to figure it out _all_ on your own."

"...Huh?"

"Fear not, Mr. Attorney! I have a little something that might be able to help."

_(How about just your testimony? That would be help enough!)_

"You know what they always say: A picture is worth a thousand words."

As the defense attorney and several others looked on suspiciously, the woman leaned forward and reached into her back pocket, one characteristically mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"Say hello to my..._Little Thief!_"

With that, the defendant whipped out a sleek black electronic device, whose bright display of flashing buttons elicited a collective surge of _ooh_s and _aah_s from the gallery.

"To be more specific," she noted, "this is Little Thief version 4.0. She's come a long way after all these years!"

Apollo was too stressed to feel impressed. "What is it– Er, what is _'she,'_ exactly?"

"A crime scene recreation device, of course!" Kay proudly replied.

"_'Of course'_? How would I have known that?"

Ignoring him, Kay continued in her eager voice, "Here's how it works. All we have to do is input what everyone remembers about the crime scene, and Little Thief will virtually reconstruct it for the whole courtroom to see. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Hmph..." Apollo crossed his arms._ (Not as cool as a lie-detecting bracelet...but still pretty cool, I guess...)_

"I think all the witnesses should give it a try," said Kay with a confidence that made Apollo wonder how a defendant was able to take such control of her own proceedings. "That okay with you, Mr. Judge?"

"Hmm..." His Honor stroked his beard. "I can't say I'm inclined to give much credibility to the testimony of a 'little thief,' but... I suppose we can give it a try. Your thoughts, Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

_(...Why does no one ever ask me for _my_ thoughts?)_

"We can assemble all the previous testifiers back here after a short recess," Edgeworth spoke up, "including the forensics detective, who should be returning any moment now..."

As if set on a timer, the courtroom doors creaked open at that very moment.

In the doorway stood a lanky bailiff beside a white-coated woman, panting and out of breath, an overflowing pile of papers and photos clutched to her chest. "I'm... I'm not too late, am I?"

"As a matter of fact, Miss Skye, you're right on cue," Edgeworth told her. "...Bailiff, please gather the rest of the witnesses for what should be the last leg of this trial."

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_"Huh? Y-y-you..."_

_"M-m-me?"_

_"If I had to put your face in a category of either 'familiar' or 'unfamiliar,' it would have to be 'familiar,' sir!"_

_"Great! So, since we're all friends here, I'll just go on inside and..."_

_"BUT! BUT! BUT! I absotively, posilutely remember the number of witnesses in this case! If I let you in, that number would turn into a number that is one number too many!"_

_"Oh... Well, I guess I'll just go ahead and leave, then..."_

_"Yes, sir, I think that would be best..."_

_"Unless... Say, would you like to see a magic trick?"_


	6. Chapter 6

.

**March 31, 2027 4:44 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 3**

* * *

><p>Detective Gumshoe, Pearl Fey, and Kay Faraday took chairs along the edge of courtroom floor, with Ema taking the witness stand.<p>

Kay's seat was closest to the stand, as she sat with her Little Thief ready in hand.

"Em and Pearly may already know this, but I'll explain for everyone else's sake: This Little Thief is voice activated. That means all you have to do is shout out details and they'll be entered automatically, to be displayed as a full-size hologram at the end of the testimony. It also means...that you should be very careful about what you say."

Heads nodded all around, and then the court's attention fell back on the testifier.

After insisting upon stating her name and occupation one more time, "Forensic Investigator Skye" began her presentation of the new evidence, so focused this time around that she had even left her bag of snacks in the lobby outside.

"My second look at the crime scene revealed a great deal of information that was overlooked the first time around," she started. "...So, first of all, I'd just like to thank the court for the opportunity to properly complete my job." As she spoke, she bowed her head slightly in the prosecutor's direction.

"Thanks is unnecessary. We are all only here to find the truth, and we'll take whatever measures are required to arrive at that truth," Edgeworth responded. "Please, then, enlighten us."

"Right." Ema straightened up. "From the evidence collected, I can now say for sure that the fatal object in the crash was neither a mic stand nor any of the stage props, but the _ladder_."

... *****_**COUGH* *COUGH***_

The abrupt noise turned all heads back toward the defendant.

The prosecutor eyed her curiously. "Something the matter, Miss Faraday?"

"...Ahem." Kay avoided eye contact with him, instead staring sternly into the screen of her Little Thief. "No. Sorry about that. Just something in my throat."

_(Something in her throat?)_ Equally as curious as the prosecutor, the defense attorney squinted at his client. _(...Or on the tip of her tongue?)_

"I'd ask if you have something to add, Miss Faraday," the Judge addressed her, "but you already forfeited your right to testify when you pleaded the Fifth, you know..."

"Yeah," she grumbled under her breath, "I know..."

"Well," Ema continued, "like I was saying, the ladder is what caused the death. However, our previous theory about blunt force trauma needs a bit of tweaking. The victim was not hit directly by the ladder, but more likely fell off of the ladder and died from the impact against the stage floor. That explains why there was no blood found on any of the objects involved in the crash, only on the floor beside the victim."

"Interesting," the prosecutor noted. "And the blood smeared on the defendant's glove?"

"Well, she obviously didn't wipe it off of the ladder, because there wasn't any blood on the ladder to be wiped off. Instead, there was a pool of blood beneath the victim's body after the death, which she could have inadvertently placed her hand in."

"Other than the blood, was there any other trace evidence at the scene?" Edgeworth inquired.

"Yes..." Ema thumbed through her stack of papers before arriving at a black-and-white picture of two dark streaks etched along the stage's floor paneling. "And this is important. As you can see in this fresh new crime scene photograph, there were also two tracks of _skid marks_ on the ground beneath the ladder."

"Skid marks?" Apollo butted in to seek an explanation.

"That's right. Skid marks are a vitally expressive, though often overlooked, form of trace evidence. They're the markings made by a solid object when it scratches against another surface. They can reveal how, why, and at what rate the object moved. In this case, the tracks left by the ladder clearly indicate a sudden slip initiated by an onset of pressure... like a knock from the defendant when she jumped onto the stage."

"...**Hold it!**" The defense attorney grew tense as he felt his own case collapsing on him. "A-all this proves is that the ladder moved! If the victim fell, then of course the ladder moved. But what evidence is there that the whole thing wasn't just an accident that had nothing to do with the defendant's actions?"

"Ladder accidents due to faulty ladders are an extremely common cause of death, but...I had this particular ladder thoroughly inspected, and nothing was wrong with it," the scientist answered. "There's no reason for this ladder to have collapsed on its own, as long as it was being used properly."

"Well, are you sure it was being used properly?" Apollo grasped.

"I looked into that a bit, too, of course," Ema replied. "I checked for footprints on each step of the ladder. There were prints on all _except_ the very top step. That means the doctor was only putting his weight on the steps that would be safe to use." She looked up at Apollo with something of a hopeful glint in her eyes as she asked, "...Is there any _other_ way that a ladder might be improperly used?"

"..." After a moment's thought, Apollo mumbled, "Not that I can think of..."

"Well, now that everybody has heard the information," announced the prosecutor, "it's time for them to see it for themselves..."

"Wait!" Kay cried out. "The... The other witnesses haven't had their say yet!"

"...I see," Edgeworth admitted, turning to the row of chairs seating the remaining witnesses. "Do any of the other testifiers have anything to add to Miss Skye's account?"

"Specifically," the defendant cut in, "what was the thing the victim fell off of?"

"What...?" Edgeworth, like Ema, had been cautiously optimistic for this last chance at new testimony to reveal case-breaking information, but now looked utterly confused.

"The thing you later saw collapsed on the stage?" Kay insisted, solemnly staring straight at the testifiers. "Was it really a ladder?"

"...What sort of question is that, Kay?"

"Umm..." Pearl slowly stood up. "I know I said something wrong before, but there's no way I'm mispronouncing anything now," she asserted. "I've always been told that what that thing was...is a ladder!"

"Yep, I saw it myself," echoed Gumshoe. "It was a ladder, pal."

"That's right," Ema remarked. "I don't think there's any more scientific term for it than a _'ladder.'_"

"Are...are you sure, guys?"

Edgeworth shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently, it was a ladder. I don't see any problem with this testimony."

"..." Kay shook her head. "No... Of course you don't."

"...?"

With a sigh, the defendant reluctantly pressed a single button on her Little Thief, and then held the device over her head.

A wave of translucent green light flooded the courtroom, inundating the gallery in its glow.

_(Whoa...) _Apollo gazed on, awestruck, as his side of the courtroom became stage left, the prosecution's became stage right, and the outline of a ladder extended toward a darkened panel on the ceiling. _(Maybe that _is_ cooler than a lie-detecting bracelet...)_

The scene shifted as the supposed "crime" played out, in full motion, in front of the eyes of all courtroom attendants as well as the camera that fed to the jurors' chamber.

The jury's approval meter in the corner of the screen shifted dangerously toward the right. Through their grunts and sighs, the court gallery, too, elicited a unified sense of resignation to the truth of these simulated events, which were just how the investigator had recited them – although the investigator herself was now feeling differently.

"Wait... Something there doesn't look like it did at the scene..." Ema thought aloud. "Is there a contradiction somewhere...?"

_"...You bet there is! **Objection!**"_

The high-pitched exclamation had come from..._beneath_ the defense bench, as the green projections abruptly faded away and the court's lighting returned to normal.

"What the...?" The attorney jumped back from the bench, startled.

"Lawyer or not, I obje– o_uch!_" The owner of the voice hit her head against the edge of the desk before straightening herself up to take a stand beside the attorney.

"Trucy!?" Apollo cried in bewilderment. "What do you think you're doing down there?"

"Shh! I snuck in with the other witnesses after the last recess. Don't tell anybody!"

_(It's a little late for that!) _"How did you get past the bailiff, anyway?"

"How else?" The girl struck a pose, flashing a shiny quarter between her thumb and forefinger. "...Magic!"

"I'm being serious!" Apollo whipped his head in all directions, trying to locate where she came from or who she came with. "Does Mr. Wright...? How...?"

"O-order!" The Judge's eyes widened and he pounded his gavel repeatedly. "What's going on in here?"

"But it really was 'magic,' Polly!" Trucy explained to the attorney with her hands on her hips, looking offended by his disbelief. "Coin tricks are a little below my usual level, but when the goal is just to get past that goofball guarding the side door, you can never underestimate the power of simple distract–_eep!_"

Before she knew it, that same goofball had caught up and seized her by the waist. "Y-y-y-young Miss Wizard!" he stammered. "No one except those involved in the case are allowed on the courtroom floor, sir! You're going to have to come with me, sir!"

As he hauled her toward the exit, Trucy struggled to free herself. "Wait! Put me down, Mister! Or else I...I can make you disappear, just like I did with that quarter!"

The bailiff jumped in shock at the threat, but refused to loosen his grip despite the tears forming in his eyes. "P-please don't, sir! Have mercy! I'm only doing my jooooob...!"

"Argh... I just...had to come to tell you...to use it, Polly!" Trucy managed to utter before being dragged completely out of the courtroom doors. "Use..._the evidence_!"

_**SLAM**_.

With the commotion over, the courtroom became uncomfortably silent.

"Th-the evidence...?" Apollo repeated in a murmur, as his eyes darted toward his court record. _(Does she mean...this thing? Was she the one who stuck it in?)_ He picked up the mysterious extra item that had made his court record heavier than usual:

...an unabridged dictionary of the English language.

_(Is there some sort of hidden message on one of these pages?)_ Apollo wondered.

Flipping urgently through the pages, he found that there were sticky notes marking seemingly random pages within the "S" and the "L" sections.

_(Think, Justice... Think...)_ Apollo wracked his brain trying to decipher what this might mean. _(Well, Mr. Wright once took a case related to the 'SL'-9 incident... But...)_ He shook his head fiercely. _(No, I just can't see it! I can't see any connection here...!)_

"Ah!" the Judge interjected. "I've just been informed that the jury is already prepared to reach a verdict!"

"No...!" the attorney cried out in desperation.

"Are there any closing remarks before we end this case?"

Before Apollo could form an objection, someone else shouted, "I've got one!"

All attention in the courtroom turned to the source of the outburst – Detective Gumshoe.

"Actually, it's more of a question, pal." The detective looked over at Apollo. "Is...is that little lady friend of yours really a wizard?"

"...Umm..." Caught off-guard by the odd question, Apollo lost his train of thought.

Gumshoe sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "...I'm...so jealous..."

"..."

The empty text box lingered in the awkward silence that briefly swept over the courtroom.

"...Er. Well, then," the Judge said finally, "the jury is deliberating as we speak."

_(It can't be over!)_ Apollo thought frantically. _(I don't understand! If Miss Faraday really isn't the culprit, then someone here must be lying.)_

"Ah..." He confidently lifted his left arm, with its gilded wrist. "That's it. It's finally your time to outshine that Little Thief, then..."

The attorney bored his gaze into each witness on the courtroom floor – Detective Gumshoe, Pearl Fey, Ema Skye, one by one – concentrating all his energy on his efforts to detect suspicion.

_(My bracelet...)_ As he finished, he looked down at it perplexedly._ (...It's not reacting at all!) _He gulped, realizing what this meant._ (So... Whatever everyone has said...they must believe it with all of their hearts!)_

As the only one who appeared to be hiding anything was his own Fifth-taking defendant, Apollo felt thoroughly defeated.

"Mr. Wright... You... You wouldn't..."

Images of his mentor handing him this impossible case flashed through his mind, and he no longer knew what to think.

**. . . . . . . . . .**

_"Daddy... I got in, but then they threw me out..."_

_"Ah, so you got past the guard armed with nothing but a couple of coins? Let's see... Did you bribe him with a snack?"_

_"Nope! I tricked him with some magic!"_

_"Ha ha! Now _that's_ thinking outside of the box. Good girl."_

_"Heh-heh. You never expected anything less, did you? ...But, you know, I still don't think Apollo's going to get the hint."_

_"Hmm... I guess it's up to me then."_


	7. Chapter 7

"There is no reason to further prolong the trial," the Judge announced, carefully repeating what was being reported to him through his earpiece. "Yes... By a unanimous vote... hmm... the jury finds the defendant, Kay Faraday..."

* * *

><p>OPTIONS:<p>

>> View Bad Ending <<

**>> View Good Ending Tutorial <<**

* * *

><p>"<strong>HOLD IT!<strong>"

The bright red letters exploded over the courtroom doors, which had slammed open once again to reveal one final participant in the day's proceedings.

"I have an **objection** to the reading of the verdict at this time."

"Mr. Wright?"

"Mr. Wright! Is that you, pal?"

"Mr. Nick!"

"Wright..."

"...Wh-what's this? Who's this?" The Judge was unable to keep up with the quickly-paced proceedings as he fumbled with his earpiece, on the other end of which the jurors were in an uproar. "Another intruder? Do we have to call for the bailiff again?"

"Not so fast, Your Honor..." said Phoenix calmly, approaching the defense bench. "I'm authorized to be here. My name is Phoenix Wright. I'm part of the defense team hired by Miss Faraday."

"Eh!?" With a sudden jolt, Apollo whirled around to face the defendant. "M-Miss Faraday? Is that true?"

"Heh-heh, it sure is!" was her lighthearted response. "And it's about time you got here, Mr. Wright. I was about to be toast!"

"Kay... You...!?" Across the room, Edgeworth leaned on his desk in frustration, trying to get a grasp on the situation. The expression on his face struggled between angry, apologetic, and relieved. "I...should have known..."

"I-I had no idea!" cried Apollo, indignant. "You never told me anything about that, Mr. Wright!"

"Hmm..." Phoenix scratched his chin as he searched for the proper reply. "Ah. I guess you could say I **gotcha** pretty good then, huh?"

"..." _(Come on, Mr. Wright, you're not _that_ desperate to start using lawyer lingo again already, are you? And if you are, at least don't steal mine!)_

"Everything I said when I asked you to take this case was true. I didn't intend to have to come out here. But a good lawyer should always have a backup plan."

Pearl, who had jumped up from her seat at the man's dramatic entrance, now giggled softly. "Backup plan? Mystic Maya always says that you never even have one plan to begin with."

"Well," Phoenix responded, smiling, "people can change, Pearls."

"But...sometimes it's better if they don't, Mr. Nick." Pearl beamed back. "We can still count on you to turn things around at the last minute, just like always!"

"While it's a pleasure to have you in court once again, Mr. Wright," said the Judge, "I'm afraid it's simply too late this time. The jury's duties have already been carried out..."

"I'm sorry, Your Honor, but I have to disagree." He looked straight at the Judge, but was addressing the nine individuals at the other end of the Judge's earpiece. "Please, members of the jury... Your duty is to announce the truth. And as of yet, you have been unable to carry out your duties, because the image you have been shown is not the truth.

"So, if I may..." He stepped behind the defense bench, directly beside Apollo.

"**Hold it.**" The shout came from the prosecution. "This person...doesn't look much like a lawyer," Edgeworth spoke up, regaining his composure from before. As a hint, he tapped the prosecutor's badge on his own lapel. "Won't you try to make yourself more presentable?"

"Ha, my apologies. Of course."

The man slowly lifted one hand to his head and pulled off his beanie to reveal the long-hidden spikes of dark hair still intact underneath. Upon removing his other hand from his sweatshirt pocket, a round, golden badge came into view, which he promptly pinned beside the zipper on his chest.

"Better, Edgeworth?"

"...Marginally."

"Well, it'll have to do." Phoenix shrugged. "We have more pressing matters to take care of in this courtroom today."

"And just what role will you play in those matters?"

"A role I've waited eight years to play again... I'm here to present a new defense theory."

"I see. Very well, then, Mr. Wright," said the Judge. "As the reading of the verdict had not been officially completed, the jury says they've agreed to listen to your addition."

"...Ha ha. I know, Your Honor," he murmured in a voice audible only to his fellow lawyer beside him, as he discreetly dug a listening device, twinning the Judge's, out of his own ear. "I heard."

"Wright." Edgeworth's tone was strict. "This may be your great revival as a licensed attorney, but you're only welcome if you have something legitimate to present. Don't waste the court's time with one of your signature bluffs. I want to get to the truth as soon as possible."

"Well, no need to worry about that," the lawyer assured him. "The truth...is only one _step_ away."

Catching his unusual emphasis, the prosecutor briefly blinked in confusion. "_'Step'_...?"

"My theory has plenty of solid ground to _step_ on," Phoenix went on, looking pleased with himself. "All you need to remember is that the first _'step'_...is the most important."

"...This." The glare in the prosecutor's eyes was deathly harsh. "This is exactly the sort of time-wasting I was–"

"Hey! Give him a chance, Mr. Edgeworth!" More fervent than hostile, the defendant addressed the prosecutor for the first time. "Take a _step_ back and calm down for a second!"

"Nnngh..." Edgeworth turned grudgingly back toward the defense bench. "Then, whatever you're driving at, Wright, please...just _step_ on it."

"Ha ha. After all that, do I really have to spell it out for you?" The newly-reappointed lawyer, content to explain nevertheless, readied his eager pointer finger. "Well, here at last is the one detail that will make everything else in this case clear:

"...It was not a ladder that the victim was using to reach the emergency power box...but a _stepladder_!"

Out of instinct, in perfect unison, Ema and Gumshoe both reacted to his statement. "What's the difference?" / "What's the difference, pal?"

Immediately after finishing her thought, Ema clutched her hand to her head. "Huh... I just got the weirdest sense of _déjà vu_..."

"..." Edgeworth did all he could to protract his patience for just a while longer.

"Glad you asked," Phoenix replied to the detectives' interrogation. "I have evidence to prove that there's a very significant difference, actually." He reached across Apollo's side of the bench toward the court record.

"Mr. Wright... You _really_ can't be serious now, can you?" said Apollo nervously as he realized which item he was reaching for. "That's not evidence! It's just a _dictionary!_"

"Tsk. Sometimes I wonder who the 'narrow-minded' one in these debates really is." His mentor smirked as he shook his head. "Everything's got a story to tell, so _anything_ can be evidence."

"...That's true..."

Phoenix cleared his throat as he opened the large book to the page in the "L" section that had been tabbed with a sticky note. "A ladder," he began to read, "is _'a framework consisting of two long sides crossed by parallel rungs, used to climb up and down_.'" He then flipped to the second bookmarked page. "A stepladder, on the other hand, is _'a folding platform with broad, flat steps, consisting of two frames joined at the top.'_ ...It's common knowledge, really. I mean, they're pretty ordinary objects."

"But what does it matter," Ema asked, still standing as a witness, "if the victim was knocked off of a ladder or off of a stepladder?"

"In some cases, perhaps it wouldn't matter," Phoenix admitted. "If he was knocked off of a ladder by the defendant's recklessness, then the defendant would be guilty. If he was knocked off of a stepladder by the defendant's recklessness, then the defendant would be equally guilty."

"Well then..."

"I realize it's a difficult concept for today's society to grasp..." – the lawyer looked up at the courtroom's spectators and braced himself for the backlash – "...but let's pretend for a moment that Miss Faraday is innocent until proven guilty."

Naturally, the gallery's collective reaction precisely reflected his expectations: _"Huh?" "That's ridiculous!" "Scandalous!" "What does that even mean!?"_

"Just hear me out," he proposed reasonably, "and take a moment to think about it. Why _else_ but by the defendant's hands might a ladder – or a stepladder – have fallen?"

"A mere accident, of course, is the most prominent possibility," Ema answered. "But, like I said, the lad– er, the stepladder was in perfect condition. There was no reason for it to collapse on itself..."

"...'_as long it was being used properly_,'" the lawyer reminded her. "More accurately, _that_ was your previous statement, right?"

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Investigator Skye, how many tracks of skid marks did you say were on the ground?"

"Two."

"How many feet should a ladder have?"

"A straight ladder has two feet, one on each side of the rungs."

"That's right. _But_...?"

"Ah...!" Ema finally caught on to his line of logic. "But a stepladder, which is essentially two straight ladders joined at a hinge, should have...four."

"It looks like we have a contradiction on our hands," Phoenix declared. "Four feet, but only two skid marks. What does this contradiction mean?" He gestured to Kay. "Can we have another look at the _correct_ scene, please?"

Kay quickly rebooted her device, and nodded enthusiastically as it emitted a beep of approval. "Ready!"

The green light began to wash over the courtroom for a second time, in sync with Phoenix's words:

"There's only one conclusion. Placed in the center of the stage was not a straight ladder, but rather..." – he thrust his forefinger in the direction of the hologram as it materialized – "...a _step_ladder, folded in half and haphazardly propped against the edge of the ceiling panel like a straight ladder!"

The image now before the court was crystal-clear. Some on the courtroom floor, those who happened to be standing directly below the center of the holographic action, flinched involuntarily as the folded object with unlevel steps threatened to collapse under the imaginary weight of the doctor's blue silhouette.

"Now you can ask yourselves, jurors, which scenario is the more likely: that Miss Faraday jumped onstage to topple a stepladder that was already unstable – or that she jumped onstage to save the man, and ended up falsely accused of the disaster she was trying to prevent?"

As the green light slowly faded away, all in the courtroom and in the jurors' chamber fell calmly into a state of agreement.

"I see, I see," said the Judge. "I would have to agree that the more believable scenario would certainly be the latter."

The individuals on both the left and right sides of the courtroom centered their gazes on the Judge's bench.

"...Ah, excuse me!" He rapidly corrected himself under the pressure, "The _step_-latter."

**. . . . . . . . . .**

"So, that means... _No one_ is the culprit?" Apollo wondered, bewildered. "I don't think something like this has happened in this court's history for...who _knows_ how many years?"

"Justice isn't an aimless quest for convictions," Edgeworth commented. "Truth is not so black-and-white that someone must always shoulder the blame. If in every case we insisted on following up until some sort of guilty verdict was reached, surely we would only be creating more victims."

"Well, listen to you, Mr. Prosecutor," responded Phoenix, amused. "...If you want to get technical about it, though, it's whoever set up the stepladder in such a dangerous way that would be at fault for the victim's death."

"I'll look into it...though I'll remain prepared to accept the probable reality that it was the doctor himself who set the dangerous scene, by pure accident."

"That wouldn't be too much of a shock." The sweatsuited attorney stroked his chin. "In my experience, doctors have always had pretty rotten luck around these parts."

"However," Edgeworth continued, "if by any chance our further investigation reveals it to have been the manager or one of the actors, then..."

"...then you can hit him or her with two charges."

"Two?" Apollo asked.

"That's right. One account of manslaughter, and one account of criminal failure to comply with OSHA standard number 1926.1053."

_(...Yeah right, Mr. Wright. That's a bluff if I ever heard one.)_

**_*CLICK*_**

The three lawyers' heads turned toward the door, and the prosecutor shifted uncomfortably in place as the former defendant entered the room.

The elder and younger defense attorney exchanged knowing glances and quickly decided to slip away, leaving the other man and the young woman alone to talk.

No talking took place until after quite a few awkward seconds.

"...Congratulations," Edgeworth cautiously uttered, his gaze aimed off to the side. "It would appear that you're a free woman now."

"Yep, it sure would... That's a big relief." Kay leaned with a sigh against the lobby wall. "You know I usually root for you in your court cases, but this is one time I'm sure glad you lost!"

"..."

"...Mr. Edgeworth?"

He finally looked up at her. "I justified my decision to prosecute this case in that it was founded in the earnest intent to prevent a less sympathetic prosecutor from taking it. But, regardless of my reasons, I betrayed your trust... and I owe you an apology, Kay."

The young woman grinned and dismissed the seriousness of the mood with a playful wave of her hand. "Nah. Let's just say you owe me a Swiss roll from the vending machine outside, and we'll call it even."

Edgeworth reluctantly gave her something like a smile. "Kay... You may make a fine prosecutor yet."

"Aww, stop it. Even _I_ know I still have a long way to go."

"Honestly, Miss Faraday," the man insisted. "Perhaps even a better prosecutor than me."

"...You really mean it?"

"Indeed." He nodded. "After all, I am but a stuffy workaholic who wore pink for the first several years of his career."

"..."

"..."

"...Wait, can I hear you say that again?"

"Of course. _I am a stuffy workaholic who wore pink for the first several years of his career._"

"Well, that's true," Kay readily agreed.

"Here's an idea. Perhaps, in your first case, you can try me for infringing upon Wright's trademark of fighting crime with a cute female assis–"

**. . . . . . . . . .**

An irritated slam on the table drowned out the blipping of text emanating from the speakers.

_"I think we've all seen quite enough, Wright."_


	8. Epilogue

.

**April 1, 2027 2:12 PM**

**ESG Studios**

**Conference Room No. 1**

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><p>"Ha ha ha. I admit I was just fooling around there at the end. The courtroom-based bits are the important thing, but what's the point of a program like this if you can't have a little fun with it?"<p>

"_Well,_" a young woman, whose unfortunate reality was still working as a crime scene detective, remarked, "I'd think the point would be to train future lawyers using realistic scenarios. If greater interactivity were applied, I think it could work. And just imagine a version that could train future investigators with virtual investigation sequences! I'd definitely play that."

"...Exactly," Phoenix replied with a rather surprised smile. "Thank you, Ema. I'm glad you can see the scientific value here."

"Uhh..." The other detective in the room seized the opportunity to get an intelligent word in. "Yeah. What she said, pal."

Phoenix nodded in Gumshoe's direction. "That's good to hear." He stood, lifting a remote to pause the computer-generated sequence of events before addressing his colleagues across the table. "Well? Today's test of the new MASON System court simulation program has concluded. Everyone else, what did you think?"

"..." The rest of the guests were too distracted by the content of the simulation to give feedback on its technical aspects.

"Wright..." Edgeworth eventually spoke up, shutting the screen of the laptop in front of him with considerable force. "All I have to say is... You have such technology at your hands, and you use it for _this_? If a single taxpayer dollar went into developing this nonsense, I swear..."

"Oh, lighten up, Edgeworth; it wasn't all that expensive," he replied casually. "I took care of the programming myself. My two lovely co-writers and – heh-heh – _that guy_ I hired to do the artwork and character portraits: they all worked for real cheap..."

"There's a lot more that's wrong with this thing than its production values," Apollo added, shaking his head in exasperation. "Just when I thought I was the main character, Mr. Wright, you just _had_ to be the hero, didn't you?"

"It's not like you _couldn't_ have done it yourself," Phoenix pointed out. "This is a game for training purposes, remember. What you saw was a sample of a player who lost and had to be embarrassingly bailed out by his grungy old mentor. Maybe if virtual-you had made better choices..."

"_You_ were the one who programmed it! This is my first introduction to these friends of yours, and you go and make me out to be completely incompetent! ...Who gave you permission to write inner monologues for me, anyway?"

"You can go ahead and deny it, but I bet that's exactly the kind of stuff you think about." Trucy giggled, looking up from the doodles she had been drawing on the official clipboard for notes on the panel's reactions. "And don't you worry, Polly," she added, reaching to touch the tip of one of Apollo's hair antennae. "...Your head's always looked _'sharp'_ enough to me!"

Apollo leaned back a few inches to secure his locks from her grasp. "...I was...never worried about that..."

"...And how about you?" Phoenix turned expectantly toward the final beta tester, the young woman with round eyes and long black hair. "Your opinion is especially valuable to this project."

"Hmm..." The woman tapped her chin, formulating her review. "You want the truth?"

"The whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"Then, to be honest...it was boring."

"Maya..." Phoenix jestingly clutched at his heart. "You wound me."

"Well, come on! I mean, I wasn't even in it!"

"Oh, but you were the biggest inspiration behind it," he assured her. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Sorry, Nick, but I can't bring myself to be too impressed, since it was completely unrealistic."

"Hey now, I really did my research on this one. How was it unrealistic, exactly?"

"Well, I was okay with me not being there...right up until you revealed the name of the play, and then had Pearly make excuses for me." With a wink, Maya explained, "No matter how busy I am, I would never have missed a Steel Samurai stage show. I'd've heard about it one way or another."

"Ah, of course." The lawyer shrugged nonchalantly. "Silly me."

He ambled around to his friend's side of the table and sat down in an empty chair beside her.

"Even so... Didn't you learn anything from it? Anything at all?"

"Hm? Like what?" she inquired, an impish grin playing on her lips.

Phoenix took up the remote once again, and clicked to access an image of the virtual court record on her laptop screen. With the laser pointer on the opposite end of the remote, he outlined a photo of the most relevant piece of evidence. "Something about _that_, maybe."

"Oh, you mean _that_ thing," the woman said, her grin now irrepressible. "What was it called again?"

"I think you know by now, don't know?"

"Is it...a _s_..."

Phoenix's eyes widened slightly. "Yes?"

"...A _st_..."

"_Yes?_"

Maya laughed. "...A stupid _ladder_!" she blurted out. "It's just a stupid ladder, Nick!"

Eyelids drooping back to normal, he smirked amusedly in spite of himself, feeling foolish for having let his hopes up. "But it's not just a ladder. You know, _the first 'step' is the most important._"

"That wasn't clever the first three times, Wright, and it isn't clever now."

Ignoring the contemptuous interjection from his rival, Phoenix remained focused on Maya. "Can't you ever just let me win for once?"

"Can't _you_ ever just see the basic nature of things?"

"..." The man heaved an exaggerated sigh.

After dozens of hours of work on the simulation, that would probably be the last word on the subject – until the next inevitable time the topic arose.

As he took another look around at the incredibly stubborn and eccentric individuals gathered together in that room, he realized that, even for the great Phoenix Wright, some people and some problems were simply impossible to turn about.

In the end, that was just the basic nature of things – and he wouldn't have it any other way. ∎


End file.
